Do Pianos Mature?

[Richard Brekne]

John Musselwhite wrote:

A really interesting post which it will take me a few days reading and re-reading
to be reasonably sure I got it straight. But couple things stood out that I would
like to make very short comments on.

> They aren't really separate here. Maturity is successfully surviving the
> changes introduced by creep (among other things) in the various wooden
> parts over time. Long-term survival is dependent on creep rupture not
> becoming a big enough problem as to make failure of the part a probability.
>
> The phenomenon appears to say that when piano parts are made into a piano
> it takes a number of years for them to want to stay that way. My hypothesis
> is that a piano "matures" when creep becomes much less of a factor then it
> was before the wood was stressed. Conversely, pianos begin to "fail" when
> creep rupture occurs.

This is a really interesting stance.... and one that I am pretty sure I personally
lean towards aggreeing with. Tho I will be the first to acknowledge I probably have
less understanding then many of you of what knowledge has already been accumulated
through the many years of study by so many minds around the world. I will think on
what you suggest above for a few days :)

> While I admire your skeptic's stance on this we have a great deal of
> scientific data available to us on the properties of wood as an engineering
> material. It does certain things whether it's in a piano, a bridge or a
> book case. The question is whether one of the things it does is responsible
> for a phenomenon that some acknowledge, some disparage and others cherish.

Hmm.. I suppose I am more the skeptic then is comfortable with many, and not just
those on the list. I guess that has something to do with the fact that science has
this annoying habit of changing its declarations of truth about things on an all to
regular basis.

Its not so much that I am not respectfull of what we have learned, or even of what
we think we have learned, as it I am that I am very respectfull of what we have not
learned.

> >Just my view from the far North :)
>
> As was mine from a mere 51 degrees N.
>
>                  John

Thanks John.  A pleasure :)


--
Richard Brekne
RPT, N.P.T.F.
Bergen, Norway
mailto:rbrekne@broadpark.no
http://home.broadpark.no/~rbrekne/ricmain.html